What environmental impacts do textile products have? This portal can be used to find out.

Intertek recently announced the launch of the "Instant LCA Textile Web Portal", an online tool that can be used by the textiles industry to measure and anticipate the environmental impacts their products may have.

The parameters are based on sets of defined scenarios -- all centered around the concept of eco-design.

Based on questions and feedback from leaders in the textile industry, the subscription-based portal is aimed at giving quick and reliable feedback for those manufacturing textile and apparel products so that if they are concerned with sustainability and environmental impact, they have the opportunity to make decisions early on in product design.

Once a user signs in and input basic information about a product, pre-defined economic factors come into play to offer 'before and after' scenarios during the anticipated product design.

Environmental impacts that come into play include carbon emission hotspots, water and energy consumption, and recommendations on how to minimize this. An 'eco profile' is then produced including suggestions and graphical data.

For manufacturers or small businesses who don't usually have access to such information, it can be used to understand not only just what the environmental impact of their products has --but also, if you understand just how much energy you're putting into the creation of your products, perhaps you can also figure out where you can cut back, and put a bit more back into the profit margins.

Charlie Osborne, a medical anthropologist who studied at the University of Kent, UK, is a journalist, freelance photographer and former teacher.
She has spent years travelling and working across Europe and the Middle East as a teacher, and has been involved in the running of businesses ranging from media and events to B2B sales. Charli...
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